NCAA Basketball Weekend Predictions: Who will wreak havoc on top-25 opponents?
Saturday’s afternoon slate
No. 4 Oklahoma (14-3) at Oklahoma State (12-6) – FULL PREVIEW
How to watch: 2:00 p.m. on ESPN
Want to watch the most exciting player in NCAA basketball? If you said yes, then tune in to this game. Oklahoma’s Trae Young is must-watch television as both a scorer and a passer. He is definitely worth two hours of a Saturday to sit down and watch play. Of course, he is not alone in making the Sooners a top-10 team. Lon Kruger has a relatively balanced squad and Young shows immense trust in his teammates. Oklahoma State will be looking to spoiler in this one against the Sooners. They may have lost four of their last six games, but the Cowboys pulled off a nice win over Texas in that stretch. Jeffrey Carroll is the leading scorer on the team and they will need a big night from him to pull off the upset. Prediction: Oklahoma 94, Oklahoma State 80.
Texas (12-6) at No. 6 West Virginia (15-3) – FULL PREVIEW
How to watch: 2:00 p.m. on CBS
This will be a battle between two of the best defensive teams in the nation. For the year, both the Longhorns and the Mountaineers are surrendering less than 66 points per game and rank within the top-50 in scoring defenses. Yet, one of these teams is on the NCAA Tournament bubble (Texas) and one ranks in the AP top-10 (West Virginia). This is due to the consistency factor. Since starting Big 12 play, Texas has shown how inconsistent they are, alternating wins and losses to a 3-3 record. However, they are coming off of a big home win over Texas Tech and will look to carry that momentum into this one. West Virginia, on the other hand, has dropped back-to-back games after starting 4-0 in conference play and needs this one to get back on track. Prediction: West Virginia 72, Texas 63.
No. 8 Texas Tech (15-3) at Iowa State (10-7) – FULL PREVIEW
How to watch: 2:00 p.m. on ESPNU
Related Story: 5 questions for Texas Tech at Iowa State
Texas Tech is looking to recover from their loss to Texas earlier this week. The Red Raiders have been one of the nation’s best surprises this season. Iowa State might not be the most difficult opponent in Big 12 play, but Hilton Coliseum certainly has some magic in their walls. If any top-10 team goes down this weekend, it could be Texas Tech. Iowa State might be just 1-5 in conference play, but they have two players in Donovan Jackson and Lindell Wigginton who can erupt for huge games at any time. TT’s Keenan Evans will have his hands full in this one. This one will stay close, but the better team will come out on top in the end. Prediction: Texas Tech 74, Iowa State 70.
No. 11 Xavier (17-3) at No. 19 Seton Hall (15-4)
How to watch: 2:30 p.m. on FOX
Seton Hall is looking a bit shaky right now. The team has lost two of their last three games each by over 15 points. In their last game, which came against Creighton, Desi Rodriguez only played in six minutes because “he had that look on his face that he just didn’t want to be out there. When he gets that way, you just kind of let him regroup and refocus, and it just didn’t happen [for him].” This might set up for Trevon Bluiett and Xavier to swoop in for a high-quality road win. The Musketeers have been excellent this season and are hoping that they can return to the top-10 with a win over Seton Hall away from home. Considering the trends for each team, Xavier can pull this off. Prediction: Xavier 84, Seton Hall 76.
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Creighton (15-4) at Providence (13-6)
How to watch: 3:00 p.m. on CBSSN
Providence is arguably the hottest team in the Big East conference right now (excluding Villanova). They are currently winners of three in a row, including victories over Xavier and Butler. With this stretch, the Friars have played themselves into strong NCAA Tournament consideration. Now with yet another home opportunity coming up, they could solidify their position in Monday’s projected field. However, they are running into another very difficult team. Creighton might not be in the top-25 right now but they are an elite team. The Bluejays are coming off of beating Seton Hall by 17 points and will be looking to get back into the AP top-25 with a win. However, this will be Creighton’s first game without Martin Krampelj, who has been ruled out for the season with an ACL injury. Will Providence be able to keep up their hot play at “The Dunk” or will Creighton play spoiler? Prediction: Providence 79, Creighton 74.
No. 24 TCU (14-4) at Kansas State (13-5)
How to watch: 4:00 p.m. on ESPNU
After a big win over Oklahoma in their last game, Kansas State is starting to creep closer and closer to the NCAA Tournament bubble. Their resume is far from the best in the nation but they deserve to be in consideration for the dance at this point in the year. The Wildcats are led by junior Barry Brown and a handful of other double-digit scorers per game. Playing in front of their home crowd, they have another opportunity at a high-quality win. In contrast to K-State’s rise over the past couple of weeks, TCU is falling. The Horned Frogs have lost three of their last four games and will have to play without sophomore Jaylen Fisher for an indefinite period of time due to a knee injury. Because of this, I think that K-State will be able to control TCU’s offense and take advantage of their already-weak defense. Prediction: Kansas State 77, TCU 73.
Missouri (13-5) at Texas A&M (12-6)
How to watch: 4:00 p.m. on ESPN2
This is a battle of two teams in the middle of the SEC who have NCAA Tournament hopes. Missouri, despite losing Michael Porter Jr. at the beginning of the season, has had a very solid season behind the play of their seniors, Kassius Robertson and Jordan Barnett. The Tigers have alternated wins and losses over the last six games and are bringing inconsistencies to this game rather than momentum. Still, very few teams have struggled as much as Texas A&M has in recent weeks. The Aggies have lost four of their last five games and are trending in the wrong direction. A win in this game would be welcomed for both teams but I think that Texas A&M comes in more desperate for a win and is in front of their home crowd. Prediction: Texas A&M 75, Missouri 71.